INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

CEN-306: FOUNDATION ENGINEERING

Stability of Finite Slope: Method of Slices

CONTENTS

• Ordinary Method of Slices (Fellenius)

• Bishop’s Simplified Method of Slices
• Example Covering Fellenius & Bishop Method

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Ordinary Method of Slices (Fellenius Method)
AC is an arc of circle representing the trial failure surface. Soil above
the trial failure surface is divided into number of vertical slices. The
forces acting on a typical slice (nth slice) are also shown separately.

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Assumptions Ordinary Method of Slices
Wn is the weight of the slice.
Forces Nr and Tr are the normal and tangential components of R.
Pn and Pn+1 are the normal forces acting on the sides of slice.
Similarly, shear forces acting on the sides of slice are Tn and Tn+1 .

Assumptions
Forces Pn , Pn+1, Tn and Tn+1 are difficult to
determine.
However, we can make approximate
assumption that resultants of Pn and Tn
are equal in magnitude with the
resultants of Pn+1 and Tn+1 and their line of
action coincide.

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Ordinary Method of Slices
From equilibrium consideration, N r W ncos  n
Resisting shear force can be expressed as
Tr  m Ln 
f
Ln 
c   tan  
Ln
Fs Fs
N r W ncos  n
Normal stress  is equal to   
Ln Ln
For equilibrium of the trial failure wedge ABC , the moment of
driving force (Wn sin n ) about O equals the moment if resisting
force Tr about O.
1  W n cos  n 
W n sin  n  r   F  c  L tan  Ln  r

s  n 

Fs 
c  Ln  tan   W n cos  n 
W n sin  n
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Ordinary Method of Slices
To consider effect of water table, Force Nr should be computed from effective
stress principle. Alternatively,

Fs 
c  Ln  tan   W n cos  n  un Ln 
W n sin  n

The pore water pressure can be expressed as a proportion of the total ‘fill
pressure’ at any point by means of the dimensionless pore water pressure ratio
(ru), defined as u ub
 ruW n  ru n
 n

c Ln  tan   W n cos  n  Ln   hn Wn

 b 
Fs 
W n sin  n
Fs 
c  Ln  tan   W cos 
n n  ru sec  n 
W sin 
n n

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Ordinary Method of Slices
In Fellenius (or Swedish ) Method, it is assumed that for each slice
the resultant of the interslice forces is zero.

This solution is known to underestimate the true factor of safety due

to the assumptions which are inherent in it; the error, compared
with more accurate methods of analysis, is usually within the range
5–20%. Use of the Fellenius method is not now recommended in
practice.

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 Bishop’s simplified Method of Slices
Bishop (1955) proposed a more refined solution to ordinary method of slices. W n
is the weight of the slice. Forces Nr and Tr are the normal and tangential
components of R.

Tr 
cLn  N r tan  
Fs

Pn and Pn+1 are the normal forces acting on the

sides of slice. Similarly, shear forces acting on
the sides of slice are Tn and Tn+1 .
Pn - Pn+1 = P and Tn - Tn+1 = T

Summing the forces in vertical direction

Wn  T  N r cos  n  Tr sin  n  N r cos  n 
cLn  N r tan   sin 
n
Fs
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Bishop’s simplified Method of Slices

Wn  T  N r cos  n  N r
sin  n tan    cLn sin  n 
Fs Fs
cLn sin  n
Wn  T 
Fs
Nr 
 sin  n tan  
 cos  n  
 Fs 
For equilibrium of the trial failure wedge ABC , the moment of
driving force (Wn sin n ) about O equals the moment if resisting
force Tr about O.  W n sin  n  r   Tr  r
cLn  N r tan  
Where, Tr 
Fs

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Bishop’s simplified Method of Slices

 cLn  N r tan  
W n sin  n  r    Fs
  r
 

 cL  N tan  
n r
Fs 
W sin n n

 cLn sin  n 
 Wn  T  
 Fs 
  cLn   sin  n tan  
tan  
  cos  n   
 F 
 
Fs   
s

W n sin  n
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Bishop’s simplified Method of Slices
  sin  tan  sin  tan   
 cLn  cos  n 

n
 n
  Wn  T  tan  
  Fs Fs  
  sin  tan   
  cos  n  n
 
 Fs 
   
Fs 
W n sin  n
 1 
  cLn cos  n  Wn tan   T tan   m  
Fs   n 

W n sin  n

 sin  n tan  
where, m n    cos  n  
 Fs 
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Bishop’s simplified Method of Slices

If it is assumed that T= Tn - Tn+1 = 0, then factor of safety

 1 
  cLn cos  n  Wn tan   m  
Fs   n 

W n sin  n

Bishop’s simplified Method of Slices is most widely used.

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Example
Using the Fellenius method of slices, determine the factor of safety, in terms of
effective stress, of the slope shown in Figure for the given failure surface: using
peak strength parameters c′ = 10 kPa and  = 29. The unit weight of the soil both
above and below the water table is 20 kN/m3.

Let O be the origin (0, 0). Then equation

of circle 2 2 2
x y r

Toe (-2.50, -9.15) is point on circle. From

which,

r 2  x 2  y 2  2.50 2  9.152
 89.9725  r  9.48538

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Example

Divide slice in 8 parts. Points on the trial surface from Toe, be in the order as (0, 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). Point 0 to 7 are horizontally 1.5m apart. Point 8 is intersection of
the trial surface with top surface. For point 8 y = -3.15,

Similarly coordinates of all nodes are as follows:

x 2  r 2  y 2  89.9725  3.152  x  8.947

Node 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
x -2.5 -1 0.5 2 3.5 5 6.5 8 8.947
y -9.15 -9.4325 -9.4722 -9.2721 -8.816 -8.0605 -6.9081 -5.0963 -3.25

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Example
W   b hn  20 1.5  hn
Weight of each slice n
Let xn , yn  be the mid-point on the trial surface of nth slice.
Calculate yn  r 2  xn2
Calculate centre-top of slice as
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xn , yn  as yn   3.15  9 6.5  xn 
top top  
 
Then hn  yntop  yn from which Wn    b  hn
xn  r sin  n  Compute  n
Refer Table of calculation for weight and angle of slice

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Example
Weight of each slice Wn   b hn  20 1.5  hn
Slice xn yn Yn-top hn Wn n Ln Wncosn Wnsinn

1 -1.75 -9.3225 -8.65 0.6725 20.176 -10.63 1.5262 11.332 -3.722

2 -0.25 -9.4821 -7.65 1.6725 50.176 -1.51 1.5005 54.943 -1.448
3 1.25 -9.4027 -6.65 2.7526 82.580 7.57 1.5132 81.860 10.882
4 2.75 -9.0780 -5.65 3.4280 102.84 16.85 1.5673 98.423 29.815
5 4.25 -8.4800 -4.65 3.8299 114.90 26.62 1.6778 102.72 51.481
6 5.75 -7.5439 -3.65 3.8939 116.82 37.32 1.8860 92.906 70.814
7 7.25 -6.1164 -3.15 2.9660 88.991 49.85 2.3262 57.383 68.019
8 8.4735 -4.2629 -3.15 1.1129 21.-78 63.29 2.1072 15.005 29.825
14.1045 517.539 244.670

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Example

From Fellenius method

c  Ln  tan   W n cos  n  un Ln 
Fs 
W n sin  n
For dry condition (Water Table well below)

Fs 
c  Ln  tan   W n cos  n  10 14.1045  tan 29  517.539

W n sin  n 244.670

Fs = 1.749

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Example

Slice  u  u×Ln  W cos - u Ln

1 5.9 9.005 10.826
2 11.8 17.706 37.237
3 16.2 24.514 57.346
4 18.1 28.368 70.055
5 17.1 28.691 74.029
6 11.3 21.312 71.593
7 0 0.000 57.383
8 0 0.000 9.473
    387.942

For WT,

Fs 
c  Ln  tan   W n cos  n  un Ln 
W n sin  n
10 14.1045  tan 29  387.942
Fs   1.455
244.670

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Example

From Bishop’s Simplified Method, assumed previous FS in m()

 1   1 
  cLn cos  n  Wn tan   m     cb  Wn tan   m  
Fs   n 
  n 

W n sin  n W n sin  n
 sin  n tan  
 m n    cos  n 
  Fs = 1.749 from Fellenius method
 Fs 

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 Table in Excel

Term
n xn yn y-top hn Wn  W cos W sin Ln m() (ru=0)
1 -1.75 -9.323 -8.65 0.673 20.177 -10.632 19.830 -3.722 1.526 0.924 28.327
2 -0.25 -9.482 -7.65 1.832 54.963 -1.510 54.944 -1.449 1.501 0.991 45.865
3 1.25 -9.403 -6.65 2.753 82.580 7.573 81.860 10.883 1.513 1.033 58.831
4 2.75 -9.078 -5.65 3.428 102.840 16.853 98.423 29.815 1.567 1.049 68.646
5 4.25 -8.480 -4.65 3.830 114.899 26.619 102.720 51.482 1.678 1.036 75.955
6 5.75 -7.544 -3.65 3.894 116.816 37.315 92.906 70.813 1.886 0.987 80.767
7 7.25 -6.116 -3.15 2.966 88.991 49.848 57.383 68.019 2.326 0.887 72.519
8 8.4735 -4.263 -3.15 1.113 21.078 63.294 9.473 18.830 2.107 0.733 28.877
              517.5388 244.6704 14.10452   459.7857

c bn  Wn 1 ru  tan 
Term 
m n 
 1 
  cLn cos  n  Wn tan   m   459.7857
Fs   n 
  1.8792
W n sin  n 244.670

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Table in Excel

 u  u×Ln  W cos - u Ln ru Term

5.9 9.005 10.826 0.439 23.020
11.8 17.706 37.237 0.322 35.968 c bn  Wn 1 ru  tan 
16.2 24.514 57.346 0.294 45.792 Term 
18.1 28.368 70.055 0.264 54.298 m n 
17.1 28.691 74.029 0.223 62.231
11.3 21.312 71.593 0.145 71.252
0 0.000 57.383 0.000 72.519
0 0.000 9.473 0.000 36.426
    387.942 401.5052

 1 
  cLn cos  n  Wn 1  ru  tan   m   401.505
Fs   n 
  1.641
W n sin  n 244.670

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